Employment: Legal Basics

The national living wage will apply for all workers aged 25 and older. The minimum wage will still apply for workers aged 24 and under.

Workers aged 25 and older - £7.50 hourly

Workers 21 to 24 years - £7.05 hourly

Workers 18 to 20 years - £5.60 hourly

Workers 16 to 17 years - £4.05 hourly

The apprentice rate, for apprentices aged 16-18 or 19 or over and in the first year of their apprenticeship - £3.50

Holiday Entitlement & Holiday Pay

There is a minimum right to paid holiday. An employer may offer more than this but in any event, the main things to consider are:

The annual leave entitlement for full time workers, i.e. 5 days per week is 28 days p.a.

If working part-time, an employee is entitled to the same level of holiday pro-rata

Bank and Public Holidays can be included in the minimum entitlement

Holiday pay is payable at the employees' standard pay rate

You continue to be entitled to holiday leave throughout ordinary and additional maternity / paternity / adoption leave

Bank and Statutory Holidays in England and Wales total 8 in number and they are:

New Year’s Day

Good Friday

Easter Monday

Early May Bank Holiday

Spring Bank Holiday

Summer Bank Holiday

Christmas Day

Boxing Day

Northern Ireland - there are currently 10 permanent bank holidays - the same 8 as in England and Wales, plus St Patrick's Day and the Anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne.

Scotland - some dates are also different. There are statutory bank holidays across the whole of Scotland, but other public or local holidays are determined by local authorities, based on local tradition. Since 2007, St Andrew's Day has been an alternative, voluntary public holiday, which can replace an existing local holiday.Businesses and schools are not necessarily closed on Scottish bank holidays and the Scottish banks follow the English and Welsh bank holidays for business reasons.

Pay rate for the first 6 weeks of SMP / SAP: 90% of the employee's average weekly earnings

Remaining 33 weeks of SMP / SAP: £140.98 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is less

Qualifying conditions: related to earnings level, length of service, time limits on notification, medical evidence of pregnancy or documentary evidence of matching for adoption.

Shared Parental Leave

Eligible parents can share up to 50 weeks of leave and up to 37 weeks of Statutory Shared Parental Pay (£140.98 per week) between them.

Paternity Pay

Ordinary Statutory Paternity Pay (OSPP) is paid for a maximum of 2 weeks

Weekly rate is £140.98 or 90% of average weekly earnings, whichever is less

Qualifying conditions: employee must have been employed by the company for at least 26 weeks up to the end of the qualifying week; employee must continue to work for the company right up until the baby is born. Slightly different rules apply in relation to adoption.

Flexible Working

From 30 June 2014, all employees have the legal right to request flexible working - not just parents and carers. This is known as "making a statutory application". Employees must have worked for the same employer for at least 26 weeks to be eligible.

Statutory Sick Pay

Statutory rate: £89.35 per weekYou need to qualify for SSP and have been off work sick for 4 or more days in a row (including non-working days).

Employment tribunals can now levy a financial penalty of up to a maximum of £5,000 on employers found to have breached an employee’s legal rights

Employment Tribunal Claims

Early conciliation through ACAS was introduced on 6 April 2014. Claimants must now send details of their dispute to ACAS who will attempt conciliation and settlement before the claimant can initiate an employment tribunal claim.

Pension auto-enrolment figures

Under the Pensions Act 2008, every employer in the UK must put elligible staff into a pension scheme and contribute towards it.

Best Practice

What people say about us...

"It has been an honour to work with Lorna and her team in the last few months. I recently applied for a graduate role for a large manufacturing company through The Dane Partnership. The process from the initial application right through to the assessment centre was flawless and by far the best I have seen. Throughout the process there was regular communication and timely responses from both Lorna and Ellen. I would like to give a big thanks to Lorna and Ellen who were not only highly professional but also very helpful and friendly. I would highly recommend The Dane Partnership for anyone looking to start a promising career."

Allan Methven

The Dane Partnership have been an incredible company to have worked with. I applied for a Junior Designer position and from the word go Lorna and the team kept me up to date and informed about every detail of the application. They were so accommodating of my work schedule when arranging interviews and meetings, and went above and beyond to make to whole process a very comfortable and enjoyable one.

There was support from them until the very end and I believe a good friendship developed throughout the journey. I am forever grateful to Lorna, and the rest of the staff at The Dane Partnership as without them there is no way I would be where I am now: which is looking forward to starting my new role in the new year.

Claire Gold

"First impressions really matter in the HR and recruitment sectors. I found all communications with Dane Partnership to be clear and accurate. Dane Partnership’s interface between the employer and me were seen to be open, honest and always helpful. I consider the service and support provided to have been professional and of a standard well above the norm for the industry. My dealings with Dane Partnership have been positive, worthwhile and enjoyable. I always felt that the agent had my best interests in mind and that they understood the business for which they were recruiting and just as important, they clearly understood the discipline in which I had experience and sought future employment. To this end, I am happy to provide a reference herewith and will certainly recommend the services of Dane Partnership to other businesses and acquaintances. I wish the partnership continued growth and success in the future."

Client Testimonial - JM, HR

"The service, assistance and support provided by Lorna Dane throughout the recruitment process was over and above of what I had experienced and expected from a recruiter. The very much personal and friendly approach that Lorna gave had made the process enjoyable. At all points she maintained contact and continuously kept me updated at each and every stage whilst being on hand to answer any questions that I had had for the graduate role. From an applicants perspective, The Dane Partnership should act as a model of how all recruitment campaigns should operate by for recruiting potential employees. To sum up in three words; professional, personal, and supportive."

John Gordon

I would like to thank Natalie and the team at Dane Partnership. I was regularly kept updated throughout the recruitment journey and was made to feel comfortable in my interviews. All aspects were dealt with very professionally and I am pleased to have had the successful outcome of being placed in a new role that I feel very well suited for thanks to the thoroughness of the process. Thank you to everyone!

Jayne Streak

"Dane Partnership are the first agency I have found that understood my requirements and were honest. They offered me advice and support both in finding a job, and more recently within the job. My interview with Lorna reassured me that Dane Partnership listen to the candidates and employer's requirements and only link them together if both parties are the right match. I have recommended Dane Partnership to my family and friends for future job seeking and advice."

Client Testimonial - Marketing Communications Manager

"Lorna has played a vital contribution to the agency's ongoing success in ensuring we attract and retain the right talent. Relocating the agency from London to the Berkshire area in 2011 was a huge decision (and yes a selfish one in that I now have a 3 minute versus a 3 hour commute) and we were filled with trepidation about the ability to find local talent. Lorna has worked exceptionally hard at proving that the local area works for our business and within a short period of time she's recruited us some top notch talent. She's a highly valued member of our growing team and I can't recommend her highly enough."

Client Testimonial - Founder & CEO,

"The Dane Partnership have always provided a highly professional, personalised service when recruiting staff for us. They take time to understand the business, the requirements and always give 100% commitment to the task in hand."

Client Testimonial - Managing Partner

"There isn't another recruitment agency on earth that works with the professionalism and dedication that you do. Thank you for your marvellous support. Any time you want a reference, just give my name and number."

Client Testimonial - Customer Services Manager

The application process for PCC’s Management Development Programme run by Dane Partnership has been comprehensive, extremely well planned and executed professionally. Within a six-week period I completed an online application, telephone interview, personal interview, psychometric tests and an overnight assessment centre. I have applied to major engineering companies in the past and not had a response for months, with this process I always had a response within days. Furthermore, Ellen provided the most frequent, professional yet personal communication throughout the process that I have ever experienced. Finally, I actually enjoyed the application process and even if I had been unsuccessful in my application, I know that I would only have positive words for the best application process that I have been involved with or heard of. Many thanks to Ellen Spencer and Lorna Dane, I would not hesitate to recommend the Dane Partnership’s services to anyone in the future.